Ecclesiastes · Chapter 31

[ edit] The waking of honeſte ſhal dwyne þe fleſh; and þe þenking of it ſhal don awei ſlep. Þe þenking of bifor kunnyng turneþ awei wit; and heuy infirmyte ſobre makeþ þe ſoule. Þe riche man trauailede in þe gedering of ſubſtaunce; and in his reſte he ſhal be fulfild wiþ his goodus. Þe pore man trauailede in laſſing of liflode; and in þe ende he is mad helpeles, or pore. Who looueþ gold, ſhal not ben iuſtefied; and who folewiþ waſting, ſhal be fulfild of it. Manye ben ȝyuen in to þe fallingus of gold; and þe los of þem is mad in þe fairneſſe of it. Þe tree of offencioun is gold of men ſacrefiende; wo to þem þat folewen it, and eche vnprudent ſhal perſhe in it.

Blisful is þe riche man, þat is founde wiþoute wem; and þat aftir gold ȝide not, ne hopide in monee, and in treſores. Who is þis, and wee ſhul preiſen hym? forſoþe he dyde merueilis in his lif. Who is preued in it, and perfit is founde, and ſhal be to hym euere laſtende glorie? þat myȝte treſpaſen, and treſpaſide not, and don euelis, and dide not. Þerfore ſtablid ben þe goodis of hym in þe Lord; and þe almes deedis of hym ſhal out telle al þe chirche of halewis. Aboue þe grete bord þou haſt ſiten; ne opene þou out þi cheeke raþere. Sei þou not, wheþir manye þingus ben, þat vp on it ben. Haue mynde, for euel is þe ſhreude eȝe.

Shreudere þing þan þe eȝe, what is foormed? þerfore fro al his face he ſhal weepe, whan he haþ ſeen. Ne ſtrecche þou out þin hond raþere; and bi enuye defoulid, þou ſhame. Ne be þou þriſt togidere in þe feſte wiþ wyn. Vnderſtond what ben of þi neȝhebore, of þiſelf. Vſe as a temperat man þeſe þingis þat ben leid to þee; and not whan þou etiſt, myche to hate þou be had. Ceſe raþere bicauſe of diſciplyne; and wile þou not be to myche, leſt parauenture þou offende. And if in þe myddel of manye þou ſeete, raþere þan þei ne ſtrecche þou out þin hond; ne raþere aſke þou to drinke.

Hou ſuffiſaunt is to a taȝt man a litil wyn; and in ſleping þou ſhalt not trauailen of it, and þou ſhalt not feelen trauaile. Waking, and colere, and anguyſh to an vndiſcreet man. Slep of helþe in a ſcars man; he ſhal ſlepe vnto þe morutid, and þe lif of hym wiþ hym ſhal deliten. And if conſtreyned þou were in etyng to myche, ris from þe myddel, and ſpew; and it ſhal refreſhe þee, and þou ſhalt not bringe to þi body ſikneſſe. Here me, ſone, and diſpiſe þou not me; and in þe laſte þou ſhalt fynde my wrdis. In alle þi werkis be þou ſwift; and alle infirmyte ſhal not meete wiþ þee. Þe ſhynende in loeues þe lippis of manye ſhul bliſſen; and þe witneſſing of þe treuþe of hym feiþful.

In þe moſt wycke bred grucchide þe cite; and þe witneſſing of þe wickidneſſe of it is verre. Biſi men in wyn wile þou not ſtiren; forſoþe many men outlawide wyn. Fyr proueþ hard iren; ſo wyn drunken in drunkinhed ſhal vndernyme þe hertes of proude men. Euene lif to men wyn in ſobreneſſe; if þou drinke it meſurably, þou ſhalt ben ſobre. What is þe lif þat is laſſid wiþ wyn? What bigiliþ þe lif? deþ. Wyn in myrþe is foormed, not in drunkenhed, fro þe bigynnyng. Þe ful out ioȝyng of ſoule and of herte, wyn meſurably drunken. Helþe is of ſoule and of body, ſobre drink. Wyn myche drunke terring, and wraþe, and manye fallingus makeþ. Bitterneſſe of ſoule wyn myche drunken.

Þe wilſumneſſe of drunkenhed þe offenſioun of þe vnprudent, laſſende vertue, and makende woundis. In þe feſte of wyn vndernyme þou not a neȝhebore; and diſpiſe þou not hym in þe myrþe of it. Wrdis of repref ſey þou not to hym; and bere þou not hym doun in aȝee aſking.